UK & World News: Mum and newborn die from swine flu - Scottish Daily Record

Dec 28 2010 Janice Burns

A MUM and her newborn baby died from suspected swine flu just hours after the birth.

The deaths of Julie Ellison and baby Jessica were revealed as a third Scots mum-to-be was diagnosed with swine flu .

One of the young mums is still fighting for her life at Crosshouse Hospital, near Kilmarnock.

Last night, devastated Tom Howe told of his anguish after losing partner Julie, 31, and his first child Jessica .

He wept: "I've lost everything. Why is life so cruel?" Julie was taken into hospital in Preston, Lancashire with suspected swine flu, but quickly began to deteriorate.

Doctors decided to induce baby Jessica, who was due to be born on Christmas Eve, but she died during labour.

Hours later, Julie also died unexpectedly - without getting the chance to see her baby girl.

Tom, 36, said: "It should have been the happiest day of my life. I don't know what to do, I am devastated. I can't put into words what this has done to me."

He revealed he had also lost his dad to cancer last month.

Julie, who has another child, 12-year-old Richard, f rom a prev ious relat ionship, was admitted to hospital two weeks ago with suspected swine flu .

But , three days later, her condition worsened and doctors induced labour.

Test s have so far fai led to determine a cause of the deaths. An inquest has been opened and adjourned at Preston Coroner's Court.

Julie's son Richard is now living with his father, also called Richard, at his home in Preston. On Christmas Day, the youngster unwrapped an Xbox 360 console and other presents from his mum.

The brave schoolboy said: "I am going to miss my mum so much. She was the best mum in the whole world."

His dad Richard said: "I am so proud of him. It is a credit to his mum how strong he is. She raised a great little boy."

Yesterday, Scots mum Ashleigh Morrison continued to fight for her life in Crosshouse Hospital.

She was one of three pregnant women battling swine flu at the Ayrshire hospital.

Two weeks ago, the Record revealed how surgeons had to deliver Ashleigh's baby by emergency Caesarean at 35 weeks after she contracted the infectious disease.

Medics put Ashleigh, 25, from Kilmarnock, in a medically induced coma to help her fight the illness, after daughter Elise was born a healthy 5lb 14oz. Over the past few days Ashleigh's condition has improved slightly.

The other two women were in the early stages of pregnancy when they were diagnosed with swine flu and staff at Crosshouse treated them with strong antibiotics in a bid to blitz the virus.

Last year, another pregnant woman, Sharon Pentleton, 27, of Irvine, was flown from the same hospital to Sweden for life-saving treatment before returning and having a healthy son.

A hospital insider told the Record: "That's three pregnant women in the space of two weeks.

"We need to get the message across to pregnant women in particular that they have to get the f lu jab because it could be a matter of life or death.

"Ashleigh's case has been absolutely heartbreaking. She has never even held her new baby and the nurses have been taking milk from her to feed the baby while she is in an induced coma just to keep the bond there between them.

"But there are some signs of improvement."

Ashleigh remains unconscious on a ventilator and her partner William and mum Sandra have looked after the baby in hospital.

Sandra, 58, also of Kilmarnock, said: "Elise is healthy but we're not taking her home until her mum comes out of this."

Swine f lu led to 69 deaths in Scotland last year.